Talk:Molt Down/@comment-4531340-20180527111249
The first thing that struck me about this episode is how low key it was. But the more I think about it, the more I feel that worked to its advantage, as while it involves a change to a main character, it's not presented as some huge, series changing event. Rather, it is presented as the character just growing up, a perfectly natural process - and in doing so, presents that the show isn't changing in a major way, characters are just growing up, maturing as the seasons go along. I like that. And there was also some nice worldbuilding (including the roc as well as some more info on dragon culture), as well as continuity with previous episodes (I noticed the overt callbacks in the form of Peewee, as well as the subtler callbacks to Rarity Investigates! and It Isn't the Mane Thing About You - I feel like there might've been more, though) - also found it interesting to learn that, apparently, phoenix feathers cause temporary magical deafness in ponies. I do enjoy the subtle touch (so subtle, in fact, that I had missed it up until I read the summary) of Rarity's little off-hoof comment about Peewee perhaps having left the nest, only for him to come back. I feel like, knowing about the rest of the episode now, it sets up how everything is going to go. Zecora was great in this episode, and her inclusion made a lot of sense (I like how it kind of felt like she was somewhat of the central point of this episode - what I mean by that is how all the characters came to her in search of a cure for an ailment either they or someone close to them was suffering. I also liked Smolder's role (it makes sense that she'd be knowledgeable about that sort of thing, considering she grew up in the dragon lands, and is also the only other dragon resident of Ponyville) - though I agree with ShadowBeast, maybe a bit more screentime for her. The only nitpick I have is how the gag of the other characters having a hard time hearing Spike when he was in the super-quiet mode of his condition was somewhat overused, but it's a minor enough thing. Overall, quite a good episode, even if it was a little difficult to get excited about it during (since it was so low key and I was kinda tired). As an addendum, I like how the various conditions of the molt seemed to be (at least somewhat) analogous to puberty in real life - the stone scales seemed to be pretty analogous to acne, the molt odor to body odor (and btw, I don't even want to try to imagine what Brussels sprouts mixed with cotton candy would smell like - ugh), and the quite mode to the voice cracks and breaks. At least, to me. Oh yeah, that reminds me, while she played a rather minor role in the episode, I did enjoy Pinkie Pie.